Health Services Department

The Tucson Indian Center’s Health Services Department is committed to providing the Tucson urban American Indian community and others with the following services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in partnership with our valuable partners such as Pima County Health Department, Tohono O’Odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Indian Health Services, and University of Arizona Mobile Health Program and MEZCOPH:

• Vaccines
• Boosters
• Testing
• Transportation
• Care packages & COVID-19 supplies
• Education
• Daily welfare checks
• Case Management

We provide the above services daily Monday through Friday with some events scheduled occasionally on the weekends.  For the very latest on our scheduled vaccine, booster and testing events, and to view educational videos and other COVID-19 information, please visit our public Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tucsonindiancenter (No Facebook account required to view content.)

While responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with the above services, the Health Services Department is also simultaneously building its capacity to expand its services in response to the pandemic by building a COVID-19 clinic with integrated behavioral health services that will open in Summer 2022.  We will be providing the following services at our COVID-19 clinic once it opens:

Specifically, the TIC will implement COVID-19 Prevention, Detection, Treatment, Mitigation and Chronic Care services in the patient-centered medical home model.

1. COVID-19 Prevention – The TIC will address prevention of COVID-19 and co-existing conditions that lead to increased susceptibility to illness and morbidity/mortality including:
   • Vaccinations for COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable illnesses that increase susceptibility to COVID-19 infection
   • Improving health literacy of TIC clients through a team-based approach from physicians, nurse practitioners, complementary medicine practitioners, nurses, medical assistants, community health representatives, wellness staff, social workers, behavioralists, etc.  This includes education on COVID-19 prevention such as distancing, masks, hand hygiene, and other proven methods as well as general wellness and disease prevention topics
   • Screening, diagnosis and treatment of chronic medical conditions that raise COVID-19 illness risks including conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, cancer, obesity, etc.
   • Integration of behavioral health services with primary care to enable screening, diagnosis, treatment and/or referral for behavioral health conditions which contribute to comorbidities as described above
2. COVID-19 Detection – The TIC will offer access to COVID-19 diagnostic testing including coordination with county and state agencies for tracking and referral.  The TIC will also perform point-of-care testing for related conditions (as a risk for or as a consequence of COVID-19 infection) such as blood and urine testing, sample collection for reference lab testing, or referral to diagnostic imaging centers.
3. COVID-19 Treatment – The TIC will offer treatment and referral as appropriate for COVID-19 conditions and conditions that either occur as a result of COVID-19 infection or that will contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in the event of COVID-19 infection.  This includes chronic disease management on-site within the scope of primary care physicians and by specialty referral as appropriate.  Additionally, TIC will offer & coordinate referrals for off-site or sidewalk COVID-19 testing. 
4. COVID-19 Mitigation – The TIC will provide resources for mitigation of COVID-19 infection including coordination with county and state agencies for case tracking, identification of family and community members at risk, assistance with prevention techniques, and enabling access to primary care and prevention services.
5. COVID-19 Chronic Care – The TIC will provide team-based primary care services for ongoing care of conditions which result from post-COVID complications and which may put an individual at higher risk of infection or re-infection.  This includes age and gender specific health screening, prevention measures, testing, treatment and long-term management of diagnosed conditions such as lung disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, endocrine disorders, musculoskeletal conditions, cancer, etc. 

For more information on any of the services of the Health Services Department, please contact us at 520-884-7131 or e-mail Health@TICenter.org.